Organic Recognition

I so often hear HR managers say, “I would love to put a more strategic employee recognition program in place, but we just can’t afford to add another program at this time.”  Or they sometimes tell me, “It would be a really nice thing to have, but we don’t see it as a priority right now.”   When I hear this, I can’t help but think how shortsighted these managers are being.  They perceive that employee recognition programs are just another layer to be added to their administrative function; or, at best, the icing on the cake they can do without for the time being.  They couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Integrated Workforce Recognition programs are not just “nice to have” additions to a business.  Strategic employee recognition needs to be part of a company’s DNA, an essential component within the company’s organism that directly impacts employee well-being and engagement.  That’s what made me think of the term “organic” when referring to employee recognition.

According to Wikipedia, the word “organic” can mean “of or relating to an organism, a living entity."   When we look at any organization, what we expect to see is a group of human beings interacting to achieve a common goal.  (Now this isn’t always the case, but it’s what we would hope to see!)  In any event, we are envisioning a group of living beings with talents hopes, aspirations and needs.  One of these real needs is the desire to be appreciated for good performance, to be shown gratitude for a positive achievement.  The only way for that to happen, is if the organization has invested in a plan and technology that allows recognition to flourish, grow, and touch EVERY employee, becoming a living part of that organism.

If employee recognition is not part of a company’s basic DNA, it’s never going to achieve the results that managers hope for.  To really work, employee recognition has to be grown from within through the creation of a culture of saying “thank you”.  If that culture isn’t “organic”, layering over an employee recognition program is simply just not going to work.